Solomon's Key Joins Hamster's Arcade Archives Series On The Nintendo Switch

I'd rather just play the free game.

This is unneeded

Yeah... This is weird. Not only this, but the NES/Famicom version of City Connection is coming to the NES service, which defeats the point of the arcade version on Arcade Archives, unless you REALLY need to double dip on the games. But I don't see a point...

Hopefully Hamster will release RType soon with their acquisition with Irem properties.

@mrmememan I thought the same thing when I read your comment.

Solomon's club on gameboy was better

It's a great game, but hard to justify a purchase when if you're paying for online you have it in the NES Online app.

Where the hell is Virtua Racing????

@joey302 virtua racing is Sega ages. Where the hell is model 3 games?

@joey302 Some may say it's taking AGES for Sega to release it in the West.

@SepticLemon
Exactly. Why would they be so redundant with the subscription service? Are they sadists?

Literally dozens of copies will be sold. Think of all that $!....that may or may not recoup the porting cost.

@Jeff Maybe they're sadists... or maybe they're simply releasing it for people who either don't care for the subscription service or who would rather play the original game rather than its inferior NES version.

@Galarian_Lassie 😁😁😁😁🤣🤣

I'll be grabbing this one. Bubble Bobble can't be too far away now.

The same as usual: people saying arcade releases equal NES ports. Sigh.

Well, for the real experts, what's this game like? Is it worth it? It's a well known name, but I haven't played it.

Think of it like this: if your NSO subscription ends, you can keep playing this version.

The anti-Arcade Archives rhetoric here in the NintendoLife comments section is always good for a few laughs.

Sad that some of you can't see that this program is one of the best things the Nintendo Switch has going for it. It has brought many great games to the system, including Solomon's Key when it arrives.

I've played many hours on it in Tecmo Classic Arcade for the original Xbox. It isn't needless trash like some of you that have never even played it are portraying it as.

@John_Deacon Exactly! And I couldn't understand why people made the tiresome usual complaint when Arcade Archives Donkey Kong was released. It was a piece of history, playable for the first time after 37 years. Officially, at least. It was something to celebrate. And it is different from NES version.

So, Solomon's Key arcade version: yay or nay?

I used to be able to speed through it on the Speccy back in the day. I still have the cassette and box. Been playing it on the NES Mini recently and it’s still a great wee game.

@NintendoFan4Lyf The Neo Geo well seems to have ran dry for Hamster. Since the ACA Neo Geo line started, we've never had a time until now when there weren't confirmed additions planned.

So barring a few new licensing deals to bring a handful of addition Neo Geo games to the NS/XB1/PS4/PC (I'd personally love to get Neo Drift Out), I'd say it's finished.

It's pretty amazing what Hamster did though after failures like the Neo Geo Station stopping after 6 or 7 releases on the PSP and PS3. A large proportion of the library made it out thanks to Hamster with solid emulation, lots of options, and a fairly reasonable price point.

I figured when it started that it would die a quick death and not even approach the sizable amount on the Wii Virtual Console. Yet instead it far surpassed it.

This was my dad's favorite game on the NES, but I don't think I've ever played this version. I may have to pick it up.

@John_Deacon I just don’t get it! Should be out now in the west!

@Atariboy Neo Drift would be sweet! I hope they bring it!

Ok great now how about Fire and Ice so i feel better about selling my copy? Lol

I really like Solomon's Key on NES, and will gladly buy this if the arcade version is superior.

I'm still waiting for Hamster to port Mr. Do!, and also Neo Mr. Do!

@Kochambra
Right, I get that reasoning. It’s “painful” for retro enthusiasts to see repeats when there’s so many gems not out in the system yet. Just wishing the arcade archives releases were more plentiful. Love retro games and love the Switch putting them out.

@Moroboshi876 I had no idea there WAS a Solomon's Key arcade along with a few other Arcade Archives games. I always get excited to hear about arcade versions I never knew existed. While you're waiting for a yay or nay about this game, do you (or anyone) have a yay/nay about City Connection (Arcade vs NES)?

@MeloMan If I remember correctly there was a review of that game here in NL, back when they still reviewed Hamster games. But I think it wasn't a good game.

@MeloMan The arcade version of City Connection is superior to the NES version visual-wise (as expected). I can't speak of gameplay for the NES version but the arcade version is pretty fun. I honestly don't get the hate; like all arcade games, it's meant to be a quarter-muncher and requires some skill to progress.

@Moroboshi876: I enjoy the Nes version. I always wanted to get the Arcade version, but couldn't after the Wii shop was shutdown. The game is an action-puzzle game. It's a little on the difficult side at first.

@Moroboshi876
I have the arcade version of Solomon on Wii; i'll probably still double-dip and grab this one (as i did with Rygar).

The NES version is one of my favorites, and the version i prefer, but the arcade version is very good (it feels a bit harder than the NES port, but that may just be me being used to the NES version). If you like the game in general, it's definitely worth getting.

NL's review of the Virtual Console Arcade release: https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/09/solomons_key_virtual_console

(Also recommended is Solomon's Club for the OG Game Boy; it's not quite a port, but not quite a sequel — there's levels in common, but also different levels and some different play mechanics like a Shop where you can buy temporary power-up items.)

This is pretty sweet as I prefer the arcade archive's borderless presentation to that of Nintendo's NES port. How do I get Hamster's arcade archives to port the Neogeo version of Viewpoint to the Switch?!